We're Together Tuesday! and Happy Birthday, Sophie J.!

A recap of day 1 of learning together...

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! This is our 14th year as teaching partners, and we are creating innovative ways to make it our best yet, while sharing some tried-and-true favorite lessons with our class, such as making a 3D salt dough map of Michigan, cracking open mock rocks, songwriting, publishing class magazines, using Dogs Might Smell Bad as the key to mastering long division, building a snow fort on a snowy day's recess, growing plants and eating our harvest, caring for salmon eggs, visiting the Ford Rouge Assembly Plant, and so much more! Most importantly, we are here to serve your family as we support your child's academic growth and character development. Thank you for embarking on your BCS journey on the DS team! We are so honored to be entrusted with your children.

We had an exciting, happy first day as a classroom family. This week, we are learning each other's names and working to BE a good friend ourselves. We are doing many teamwork activities and lessons to find out more about the kids in our class.

To guide your dinnertime discussion for this evening, show your child these photos and ask him or her to tell you about his or her favorite parts of the day.

Today was a busy day with a special schedule:

From day one, we have important learning targets for all students:

Here are our read-aloud books from today:

Here are two songs from today:
Don't Worry About A Thing
Count On Me

We had a Town Hall meeting during which Mr. Morawski talked about valuing the 3Es (education, environment, and each other) and empathy.

Students received their planners today and should show it to you to initial. Every day, the teacher writes in our copy of a student planner as we project it onto our board for the kids to copy. We go slowly and explain what to write down and where to write it. (Please note that Mrs. Davis' document camera isn't up and running-we are awaiting the delivery of a new power cord as mine was lost over the summer work done in my room. We are writing on the whiteboard in my room, which is not as exact for the kids.) Today we did a longer lesson, looking at some of the text features of the planner and how we might use them as tools for our own learning.

For tomorrow, please bring in 5 favorite short books that we will be reading with different classmates throughout this first week. Also, parents, please write on each day of this first week in the planner and write down how your child is getting home (choice hour then bus, choice hour then pick up by whom, or 3:20 pick up by whom). For new students, it is perfectly wonderful for you to enter the building and meet them at their lockers. If your child doesn't need this and can meet you in the loop, go for it!! Most kids will exit the building on their own later on.

Your teachers prescribed an early bedtime so that you'll be ready for the fun we have in store for you on Day 2!!

Have a great night!

Educationally Yours,

Kim and Tom :)

Today's Planner: